Posted on 03/13/2015 4:53:30 PM PDT by shove_it
“He did build the fueling. He just wants the taxpayers to guarantee his sales.”
The Texas legislature established this TERP fund intended for programs like this. Pickens is fulfilling the desired result, no?
T. Boone Pickens is an SAE. Wonder if he knows the cheer.
So am I and proud of it. There are a few bad apples in any barrel.
Yep, the spending of these tax dollars has been in the works for a while.
Tell me the rules and I’ll play the game. It’s just bidness. Y’all elected those people in the TX legislature.
So you have the same opinion about Solyndra?
Of course not.
The TX legislature established this TERP fund in 2001. As you noted above, TBP built the refueling infrastructure with private funds. Now comes a bill to tap the TERP fund to connect to the NatGas infrastructure to save the taxpayers some money.
On the other hand, Solyndra was hatched in the west wing of the White House and funded solely with tax dollars without any prior approval by the fed legislature. Graft pure and simple.
While that may have been the intention, I'm unconvinced it is the result (saving money).
I've looked into using Natural Gas for vehicles myself. I am very much in favor of the idea, but the math has not proved to be a savings, yet. I think in time it will be, when volumes of NG engines are more common, but it hasn't happened yet.
With today's gasoline prices, the economics are worse for the change. I expect the gasoline prices will rise, but I also expect as the petrochem industry finishes the build out that has already started in a few years, likely will Nat Gas prices stabilize higher as well.
NatGas for transportation is growing slowly in my area here in Central Florida. The Waste Management trash and recycling trucks are converting. I looked into the local public transit bus situation - Space Coast Area Transit (SCAT - catchy, huh?) - which has a requirement to jump through some flaming hoops (regulations) called “Buy America Compliant Buses” before replacing/upgrading the fleet. SCAT is still running on diesel.
I agree with your favorable long term view of NG for transportation. The crude oil price is temporarily depressed. Hopefully CLNE and WPRT can withstand the beating they’ve taken lately in the market. For my own personal car, it’s not an option because there is no NG service to my house and no public NG station nearby.
I expect the next pickup we buy, will at least be “prepped” for by bi-fuel. For ~$300, Ford will include:
The CNG/LPG Fuel Capable Engine Package for Super Duty includes:
• Hardened Engine Intake Valves and Valve Seats
• Bi-fuel Manifold
• Requires 6.2L gas engine
• CNG/LPG fuel tanks, lines, etc. not included.
Sweet. That must be this guy ...
http://www.ford.com/trucks/superduty/trim/f250xl/
With all the NG supply in your neighborhood, you’re good to go. Have the home garage CNG fill stations come down in price and up in performance? They used to cost ~$6k as I recall.
I haven’t priced the out lately. But now we have a CNG station we drive by several times a week. It was $2.05 the this past summer, but didn’t drop against the gasoline price.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.